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(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. RUSGOE. APPARATUS FUR DRAWING GAS RETGRTS.

Patented June '7, 1892.

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J. RUSCOE. APPARATUS FOR DRAWING GAS RETORTS.

No. 476,686. Patented June '7, 1892.

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J. RUSCOE.

APPARATUS FOR DRAWING GAS RETORTS.

No. 476,686, PatentedJune 7, 1892.

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No. 476,686 Patented June 7, 1892.

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(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 5.

J. RUSGOE. APPARATUS FOR DRAWING GAS REIORTS.

No. 476,686. Patented June '7, 1892.

INVENTOR WITNESSES 17 mm A. A

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(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 6'.

J. RUSGOE. APPARATUS FOR DRAWING GAS RETORTS.

No. 476,686. Patented June 7, 1892.

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UNTTEE STATES PATENT QEEICE.

JOHN RUSCOE, OF HYDE, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR DRAWING GAS-RETORTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 476,686, dated June '7, 1892.

Application filed November 21, 1890. Serial No. 372,254. (No model.) Patented in England November 13, 1889,1lo. 18,108.

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN RUSOOE, a subject of the Queen of England, and a resident of Hyde, in the county of Chester, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Drawing GasRetorts, (for which I have obtained Letters Patent in Great Britain, No. 18,108, bearing date November 13, 1889,) of which the following is a specifi' cation.

This invention relates to improvements in the apparatus employed in mechanically drawing the spent charge from gas-retorts, and it is designed with the object of simplifying the working parts and of arranging the driving so that the several movements of the drawing-rake may be easily performed and be under the complete control of the attendant.

The invention will be fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure l is a side elevation of the rear or driving end of the gas-retort-drawing apparatus; Fig. 2,21. side elevation of the front end of the apparatus; Fig. 3, an end elevation of the apparatus at rear end; Fig. i, an elevation of the rear or driving end of the drawing-rake with parts of the framing in section; Fig. 5, an elevation of the front end of same; Fig. 6, a plan of rear or driving end of the apparatus; Fig. '7, a plan of front end of same; Fig. 8, a plan of rear or driving end, taken above the rake, with parts of the framing in section; Fig. 9, a plan of front end, taken above the rake, with parts of the framing in section. Fig. 10 is a cross-section on the line 10 10 of Fig. 8, showing the devices for giving lateral motion to the rake. Fig. 11 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of the clutch-operating connections.

The principal or main frame A is built up in the usual way, preferably in the form of a rectangular tower, from iron of angle, T, or channel shape riveted or bolted together. It is open in the center to allow for the upward and downward movements of the drawing rake D and is, as customary, supported on four wheels E, running on rails F, which are laid in front of the gas-retorts in connection with which the apparatus has to work.

The principal improvements lie in arrangements or combination of parts for raising and lowering the rake D in the frame A, for projecting it forward into the retorts and withdrawing it therefrom with the spent charge,

and for moving the apparatus from place to place in the retort-house.

The drawing-rake D is constructed of a rod (1, preferably rectangular in cross-section, of either steel or iron, with a removable head d pivoted thereto, so as to swivel toward the machine when passing into the retort over the coke. The rod (1 of the rake is attached or carried by a carriage G, which supports the rake D as it is projected forward into the retort. This carriage G is constructed of a single piece (1 of flat or angle iron, provided with couple of axles or spindles g, which carry two or more pairs of rollers or runners g. A frame H is constructed of channel-irons h-one at either side of the rake D-extending the entire length of the frame A, in which the rollers g run to and fro. The frame H thus serves to support the rake D in any position as it moves to and fro into or out of the gasretort.

Below the rake-frame H and attached to it is a second or subsidiary frame J. The frame J is supported at the four corners by the ropes O 0 from the barrels N, and the rakeframe H is connected to it by the trunnions h on either side of the cradle-bracket H, firmly attached to the longitudinal members h of the rake-frame H by rivets, bolts, or screws. The blocks h, which form the journals for the trunnions h, may be attached to the frame J in any desired position. The rake D and rake-frame H can be oscillated on the trunnions h to suit the requirements of the operator.

The side members 72. of the frame H are braced together at intervals by the other cradle-brackets H", similar to the bracket H, without the trunnions.

The rod cl over the front axle of the rakecarriage is pivoted on an upright pivot d, upon which it can oscillate horizontally to allow the head of the rake to be moved from one side of the retort to the other. This oscillating movement is effected by the handlever D through the shaft cZ', boss lever D thereon, and connecting-rod The shaft 61 is cut with a groove or keyway throughout its length, in which a key or feather in the boss lever D slides, the sliding movement being obtained from the rake-carriage G as it moves along by a stud projecting therefrom into the annular groove of the lever D, as shown in detail in Fig. 10. By the double oscillating movement on the horizontal trunnions h and on the upright pivot cl the rake may be caused to swivel in any direction. The handle Z and rod Z, passing through the bracket 2, attached to the rakeframe and clam ping-screw .2, serve for the attendant to oscillate the rake about the trunnions 71 in the sliding blocks h.

. The main driving mechanism for giving the required motion to the several parts of the apparatus is placed on the top of the frame A and is actuated by a continually-moving main driving-band K, preferably a cotton rope, which runs overhead across the entire apparatus in a line parallel to the face of the retort-mouthpieces in the retort-house. The main driving-band K 'is driven at a quick speed and communicates motion to the pulley K, against which it is held by the two guidepulleys 7;. As the driving-band K passes over a drum or pulley at each end of the retorthouse, it is always taut irrespective of the position of or any movement of the frame A or of any of the mechanism supported thereby.

The first-motion shaft 75, to which the ropepulley K is keyed or otherwise attached, is preferably vertical and transmits movement to the second-motion shaft L by means of a bevel-wheel 7c, keyed thereon, and two bevelwheels Z Z, placed facing each other and loose on the shaft L. The two bevel-wheels Z Z on the seoond-motion shaft L are always in gear with the bevel-wheel k on the first-motion shaft 7c. Between the two bevel-wheels H on the second-motion shaft L is a sliding friction-clutch L, which engages with a clutchboX formed in the face of each of the bevelwheels. The clutch L is provided with a key or feather on the shaft L, so that if brought into contact with the bevel-wheel Z the shaft is rotated in one direction and if brought into contact with the bevel-wheel Z the shaft L is rotated in the opposite direction, or by being kept in a central position the secondmotion shaft may be kept still, while the firstmotion shaft is continually running.

The second-motion shaft L has attached to it other mechanism, which serves to distribute the power for the following purposes, viz: To raise and lower the rake in the frame A, to propel the rake into and withdraw it from the retorts, and to move the entire mechanism on the rails F from one place to another in the retort-house. For this purpose on the shaft L are placed loose a worm M and bevelwheels ll' M, each provided with a clutchbox face, and moving on a key or feather in the same shaft are two friction-clutches m m, which can be thrown into gear or connection with the worm M and the bevel-wheels M M.

For raising or lowering the rake D a wormwheel N is geared with the worm M on the second-motion shaft L. The worm-wheel N erases is keyed to a cross-shaft it, upon which are fixed two rope or chain barrels N, upon which wire ropes or chains may be wound. Attached to each barrel are two ropes O O, and the ropes Oone from each barrelpass horizontally forward to the front of the ma chine over guide-pulleys, and the ropes 0- one from each barrel-descend vertically therefrom. The four ropes are connected, respectively, to the four corners of the frame J by means of the adj listing-screws o.

For projecting the rake D forward into the retorts and drawing it back again motion is conveyed from the second-motion shaft L by the clutch m, gearing with the bevel-wheel M thereon, to the cross-shaft 19, carrying the bevel-wheels P P", the latter of which gears with the bevel-wheel M on the second-motion shaft L and the other with bevel-whcel P on the top end of the vertical shaft 1). The vertical shaft 1) is throughout its length slotted with a groove or keyway, and sliding on the shaft is a worm R, with a key fixed therein, which is supported by a runner 0' in an annular groove formed in the boss, and is thereby raised and lowered with the rake D. The worm R gears with a worm-wheel R, affixed to the end of a shaft 0', carried in journals in the cradle-frame II". On the shaft 0' is fixed a chain-driving wheel 0", which drives a chain S. Both ends of the chain S are connected to a bracket 3 on the under side of the rake-carriage G and then pass in opposite directions over the chain-wheel 1" on the shaft 0" and over the carrier chainpulleys s on the shafts 8, supported by the brackets H". A movement of the chain in either direction carries with it the rake D.

For moving the apparatus on the rails F from one place in the retort-house to another motion is conveyed from the second-motion shaft L by the clutch m, gearing with the bevel-wheel M" thereon, to the cross-shaft 23, carrying the two bevel-wheels P, one of which gears with the bevel-wheel h on the second-motion shaft L and the other with the bevel-wheel P"" on the top end of the vertical shaft 1)", which is thereby rotated. To the foot or bottom end of the vertical shaft 1) is fixed a worm U, gearing with the worm-wheel U on a short horizontal shaft 21, which at its other end carries a bevel-wheel a, which gears with the bevel-wheel u on the shaft 6 of one pair of the rail-wheels E.

The hand-levers VJV, and X serve to throw into and out of gear the several parts of the mechanism which perform the dilferent operations. The hand-lever W, through the levers w and connecting-rods w, throws the clutch L on the second-motion shaft L into contact with either of the bevel-wheels ZZ or holds it in a central position in contact with neither. The clutch L thus controls the motion of the shaft L, so that it can be maintained at rest or rotated in either direction, and all parts of the mechanism being actuated from the shaft L it follows that by the ITO movement of the hand-lever IV the direc-' tion of motion of whatever part of the mechanism is in gear for running can be reversed or the mechanism altogether stopped. The hand-lever V, through the levers v and connecting-rods v, moves the clutch m into or out of gear with the worm M to lift or lower the rake D from the level of one retort to that of another. These clutch-operating connections are like those shown in Fig. 10 for operating clutch connections. The handlever X, through the levers cc and connecting-rods 0c, throws the clutch on into gear with eitherof thebevel-wheelsM hi". When it is thrown into gear with the bevel-wheel M, the rake is moved into or out of the gasretort, and when thrown into gear with the wheel h the apparatus is moved from place to place in the retort-house on the rails F.

In any suitable position on the top of the frame A or elsewhere in the retort-house is placed a water-cistern, from which Water may be by a pipe or hose run onto the rake to cool it.

lVhat 1 claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an apparatus for drawing gas-retorts, a main frame, a frame I-I, supported in the main frame, and a rake D, arranged to slide longitudinally on the frame H, in combination with the chain S, connected to the rake, the chain-carrying pulleys, and the worm-gear and pinions for driving the same, all mounted on frame H, the vertical driving-shaft, the worm splined on said shaft and capable of sliding up and down thereon, and means for raising and lowering frame H.

2. In an apparatus for drawing gas-retorts, the main frame, the frame H, the rake-carriage movable to and fro therein, the rake-bar (Z, connected by a vertical pivot to the carriage, and mechanism, substantially as described, for controlling the motion of the rake on said pivot, whereby the rake maybe caused 3 to act on the sides of the retort.

3. In combination with the main frame, the

frameH, the rake-carriage movable back and forth therein, the rake-bard, connected to the carriage and constructed to swing laterally, the rock-shaft c provided with an operating device, an arm arranged to travel with the carriage and along the rock-shaft, and a connection from said arm to the rake-bar, whereby the rake may be adjusted laterally and held as it is withdrawn through the retort.

4. In an apparatus for drawing gas-retorts, the main frame mounted to move transversely in front of the retorts, in combination with the frame J, the cords andwinding-drums for sustaining and adjusting frame J, the frame H, sustained by horizontal axes in frame J, the rake-carriage mounted to move back and forth on frame H, the rake-bar jointed to the carriage to swing horizontally, the lever Z, and connections for tilting frame H, lever D and its connections for movingthe rake horizontally, and mechanism for advancing and retracting the rake.

5. The main frame and its sustaining-wheels E, in combination with the frame J, its suspending and adjusting ropes and drums N, the frame H, mounted on horizontal axes on frame J, means for controlling the motion of frame H on said journals, the rake mounted to slide forward and backward in frame H, the rake-operating chain and its sustainingpulleys, the vertical shaft 1), and the clutch and gears through which it actuates wheels E, shaft 1), its sliding worm, and the gear connecting the same with the chain-driving pulley, the main driving-Wheel K, intermediate gear, and gears and clutches through which said driving-wheel communicates motion to the winding-drum, the shaft 1), or shaft 1)", as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN RUSCOE.

Vitnesses:

J. Ownnn OBRIEN, WILLIAM H. TAYLOR. 

